Members
Sumana Sen Mandala
has trained in Bharatanatyam under several teachers, including Smt. Asha Gopal and Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam. She studied and performed Kagura (a Shinto ritual dance) with the Hokkaido Shrine Troupe while living in Japan. Sumana then spent 3 years in Chennai mastering Bharata Nrityam and the Nāṭyaśāstra-based pedagogy, serving as research assistant and an instructor at Dr. Padma’s institution. With extensive performance experience, Sumana is now turning her focus to teaching, choreography and production, collaborating with various teachers, dancers, musicians and visual artists. She is frequently invited to speak on Indian dance and culture at higher education institutions and museums. She is the director of Dansense~Nrtyabodha, Inc., a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and lives in Scottsdale, AZ.
Preya KM Patel
began contemporary dance at the age of 4, and at 7, her guru, Smt. Asha Gopal introduced her to Bharatanatyam. She later studied Mohiniattam under Kalamandalam Radha and Janardanan Master in Kerala, India. In Los Angeles, she danced with ‘blue13 Dance Company’, served as dance chairwoman for ArtWallah 2004 and was a featured dancer in 2 independent films, among other projects. Preya directs the Devi School of Dance in Austin and works closely with several local and international artists.
Aiyappan Natarajan
began training in Bharatanatyam at the age of 7 under Smt. Jayalakshmi Arunachalam in Chennai, India. He continued his study for 10 years and has given various solo performances, including two performances on Indian national television. Aiyappan’s knowledge in Vedic recitation and music uniquely enhances his understanding and demonstration of dance. Aiyappan works at Intel Corporation in Austin as a Senior Design Engineer.
|
Divya Shanker
was initiated into the art of dance at the tender of age 4 and has perfected and embellished her art under the guidance of Smt. Kalamandalam Saraswathy at Nrityalaya. She is fluent in 3 forms of dance--Bharatanatyam, Mohiniattam, and Kuchipudi. Divya has performed all over India and won several state awards in Kerala. At present, she is under the tutelage of N. Srikanth and Aswathy of Nrityalaya, Kerala, while working with several other renowned artists from India. She is the director of Divyathrayam Dance Center, conducting classes in the Austin area.
Minnie Beteille Homchowdhury
is a product of Kalamandalam, Kolkata, with training, dance and teaching experience spanning over 15 years. Under Guru Thankamani Kutty and Guru Govindan Kutty, Minnie studied Bharatanatyam and was an instructor at the institute. She has also performed extensively with the Kalamandalam troupe. Settled in Austin, she works as Technology Project Manager for Williamson County. Minnie is an active volunteer at the Scottish Rite Theater and enjoys continuing her learning and creative process as a member of Stage Sanchaar.
Poornima Rao
started learning Carnatic classical vocal from her mother Smt. Vijaya Subramhanyam as a child. She was initiated into veena by her sister, Smt. Sangeetha Srinidhi and has had advanced training under renowned flautist Vidwan AV Prakash. She has studied light music extensively under Smt. H.R. Leelavathi. Poornima is a recipient of the CCRT Scholarship and a graded All India Radio and Doordarshan artist. She currently teaches music in Austin and enjoys composing and directing musical ensembles.
|